Ngella MP Choilyn Douglas calls for stronger laws to protect Solomon Islands’ cultural heritage, sacred sites and traditions

Honiara, Solomon Islands – Member of Parliament for Ngella, Choilyn Yim Douglas, has called for stronger legislation to protect Solomon Islands’ cultural heritage, including customary and sacred sites.

Speaking in Parliament during her reply to the Speech from the Throne, Hon. Douglas said the Government’s commitment to protecting and celebrating cultural heritage must be supported by an appropriate legal framework.

She questioned what laws would protect the country’s “living inheritance” and highlighted the particular importance of heritage sites in Ngella.

“Solomon Islands does not have a comprehensive cultural heritage law,” she said.

Hon. Douglas pointed to the country’s significant World War II heritage, including the wrecks located in and around Ngella waters, while also raising concerns about the protection of customary cultural sites.

She said the current legal framework does not provide comprehensive protection for all aspects of Solomon Islands’ cultural heritage.

Hon. Douglas also called attention to the absence of a national cultural policy, noting that the existing National Museum policy dates back to 1991 and focuses primarily on the collection and preservation of artefacts.

“A Government that commits itself to the living inheritance of our people must be prepared to write the statute under which that inheritance is protected,” she said.

She called for greater support for national cultural institutions, including the National Museum, National Archives and National Library.

Hon. Douglas said cultural development must ensure that communities retain control over how their cultural knowledge, traditions and heritage are recorded, promoted and commercially used.

“Culture must not be viewed only as a tourism product. Our languages, traditional knowledge, customary practices, sacred sites, music, dances, carving, weaving and oral histories are the living inheritance of our people,” she said.

She urged the Government to strengthen legislation and institutional support so that economic development does not come at the expense of cultural identity and community ownership.

SOURCE//Opposition Press Release